Animal-trap



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. BRYAN.

ANIMAL TRAP.

Pantem'edI Sept. 23, 1884.

(No Model.) Sheets-Shet 2.

' A. L. BRYAN. y

ANIMAL TRAP.

N MYERS. Pnolumhagmpher, washmgmn, nc,

UNITED STATES EFATnNT @trice ALEXANDER L. BRYAN, OF EDGEVOOD, GEORGIA. l

ANIMAL-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettere-.Patent No. 305,664, dated September 23, 1884..

Application filed December 2G, 1883. (Xo model.)

T all L1/71,0771. it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER L. BRYAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Edgewood, in the county of De Kalb and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements inAnimal-Traps, of whichthe fol- Referring to theY drawings, Figure 1 is a cen tral vertical section taken from end to end of a trap embodying my invention.

my invention. Fig. Bis a plan view of the base portion shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa detail of the locking device for securing the trigger after the trap is set, in order that it may be removed from place to place without springing it. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of part of the tripping mechanism. J

In said drawings, the letter A designates l the body ot'- a trap of any suitable forni, and

provided with a vertically-sliding drop erdoor, B, at either end, or, if desired, at both ends. These doors may be made of sheet metal,or of other material, and are arranged to slide in guideways a c, their weight being such as vto insure their immediate descent when the trigger is operated. Upon the top of the trap,and immediately in front of the door, is placed an upright, C, having an eye or notch, c, invits end, through which is led a cord, b, having 'one end attached to the top-of the door B. A

friction-roll may, it' required, be jonrnaled in the upright; but for all ordinary purposes the construction shown will prove sufficient. Upon the top of the trap, and at a convenient point between its ends,` is placed a standard, D, and upon ahorizontal axis therein is mounted a disk, E, having a notch, e. Above said disk is arranged a trigger, F, having a toe, f,

Fig.` 2 is a similar section illustrating a modified form of which is adapted to engage with the notch e.

Upon the side of the disk E oppositethis l notch are formed hooks or catches e e?, and the gate-cord b, which is led from the eye c of the upright C, 4through a stapleor loop, G,

below, passes thence to the hook or catch e,

with which it engages by means of a loop formed upon the end of the cord, or a ring attached thereto. It willbe seen that when the trap is set thetrigger F will hold `the disk E the roof of the cage to auN elevated floor-section, H, pivotedeentrally to the tloor of the cage. Near its central portion are placed sta-` ples h h, through which the cord f passes, its end being secured to a staple, H, in the iioor. Between the tripping lever or trigger F and the roof of the cage is placed auordinary arm, I, pivoted to the standard D, and-to this arm the tripping-cord f is attached.

"W indicates a weight, which is adjustable upon said arm toward and .from its pivotal point.

In front of the pivoted floor-section H is placed a bait-post, L, of any suitable construction-such, for example, as that. shown-upon which the bait may be impaled.

The'operation of the parts described is as follows: The bait being properly arranged, the trap is setby raising the door, carrying the cordf through the loop or staple G, hooking its end over the catch c', and engaging the notch c with the trigger F. The animal being attracted by the bait enters the cage, and in disengaging it from the post L thereby causes sufficient tension of the cord f to trip the. trigger F and drop the door B. By adjusting the weight XV upon the arm I the tripping mechanism may be `made more sensitive, so that a small weight upon the pivoted scction H will operate it. XVhen a door is used upon both ends of the trap, the cord j, snpping-cord, f, which drops vertically through i porting the second door, ispassed from its loop G beneath the disk E and connected with the hook c, inthe mannershown in Figs. l and 5. Aconvenient manner of making this connection is to notch the point of the hook et, and knot the end of the cord wlii'ch'l-ies in IOO the notch, the knot being too large to pass through. In this manner both doors may be operated by the same tripping device.

A modified form of device is shown in Fig. 2, wherein I propose to support the whole body ofthe trap upon a central standard. In said gure the letter M designates the base of the trap, from which rises a central upright, M. .Near the top of 'the latter is pivoted a disk, N, having a hook, a. formed in its edge,

. and a series of notches, n. Upon the top of 25 p is carried from the arm It to the central I the trap dropior body O is a loop, m, whichv engages with the notch n', and above the disk N is pivoted a trigger, I?, having a toe which engages with any one of the notches n andl holds the trap-body suspended above its base. To the end ofthe trigger Iis attached a tripping-cord, p, passing down through the roof of the cage and attached to an arm, R, pivoted to the upright M", alittle above its base. Upon this arm is mounted a bait hook or holder, S, and surrounding the same, but arranged -nearer the base, is a plate or strip, s. 'having its ends supported upon pivots s. y The cord ger P may be regulated.

As it is frequently desirable to set the trap and then locate it, I provide a locking device by which the trigger may be secured until the trap is placed and adj usted. sists of a pawl, t, mountedon the heel of the trigger and engaging with notches t in the upright. Vhen the trap is placed, this pawl is turned back out of engagement. l

In the modied form ot' construction shown in Fig. 2 I place in the standard M a spring, mi, which allows the trap to pass downward, but springs outward after it has passed, and prevents it being lifted.. A door, V, may also be placed in the side of the trap.

For convenience in transporting -the trap a By split-Y This device conhandle, X, of any convenient form, may be applied to the upper end of the standard D.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is y j l. In an animal-trap, the combination, with a drop falling by gravit-y, of means for sustaining said drop, a trigger releasing the same, a tripping-cord connected with the trigger and with a pivoted arm having an adjustable weight, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with adrop falling by gravity, of a sustaining-cord, a disk having hooks engaging with said cord, a trigger engaging with a notch in the disk, and mechanism for tripping the same, said trigger being provided with a locking-pawl upon its heel vand engaging with the notched standard, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the tripping-lever, the' pivoted foot-plate, the cord connecting the said lever and plate, the notched disk, and

means connecting it with a drop, of aninterV mediate lever-arm connected with said cord and having an'adjustable weight, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the tripping-lever, the notched disk, the drop, andmeans for connecting it with the disk, of the pivoted leverarm carrying the bait-holder, the pivoted footpl'ate, and the cord connecting the trippinglever, the lever-arm, and foot-plate, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the base M, the upright M', the notched disk N, the trigger P,

pivoted arm It, the cord' connecting said arm and trigger, the drop, and the spring m2, substantially as described. j

6. The combination, with 4the standard M', the drop and tripping mechanism, of the pivoted lever-arm It, split to form a scale-beam,

T, and the adjustable weight V, substantially as described.

In testimony'whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence ot' two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER L. BRYAN. Witnesses:

II. C. J oNEs,

JOHN B. S'rnwann. 

